A member of the Country Music Hall Of Fame.

There are numerous super-session musicians in Nashville, but very few with the longevity of Charlie McCoy. In addition to being a fixture in Nashville studios for 48 years, he also has his own recording career going full tilt. (He has recorded 35 solo albums.) He served as the music director for eightteen years for the syndicated television series, “Hee Haw”.

Charlie McCoy began working sessions in the early 60s, one of the first being “Candy Man” by Roy Orbison. “Forty nine dollars”, says Charlie. That’s how much I was paid for that session back in 1961. “It got Roy another hit and me a career. For a twenty year old to make $49 for three hours work back then, it was a dream.

Shortly after the release of “Candy Man”, Charlie became one of the in-demand session players in Nashville. His session credits are literally a who’s who of country music. For a fifteen year stretch, he did more than 400 sessions a year. A grand total would number more than 12,000. (and he’s still going) In the last twenty years, he has been touring more with many appearances in Europe and Japan.

In addition to country sessions, Charlie was a mainstay on Elvis Presley recordings both in Nashville and Los Angeles. When Bob Dylan recorded “Highway 61”, “Blond On Blond”, “John Wesley Harding”, and “Nashville Skyline”, Charlie was there, playing on these land-mark recordings. He was also heard on Simon and Garfunkle’s “The Boxer” in addition to many hits from genres other than country music.

Charlie McCoy began recording for Monument Records in the late 60s and recorded 14 albums for the label, beginning with “The World Of Charlie McCoy”. He won the Grammy in 1972 for his album, “The Real McCoy”. He won CMA’s “Instrumentalist Of The Year” two times and the Academy Of Country Music’s “Specialty Instrument Award” seven times. He is a member of the “International Musician’s Hall Of Fame” and the “West Virginia Music Hall Of Fame”.

In addition to making his own recordings, Charlie was a member of a legendary recording band, “Area Code 615”. The band featured many of the top session players in Nashville.

While Charlie predominately known as a harmonica player, his musical prowess encompasses other instruments including guitar, bass, mallet percussion, (vibes, marimba, bells, Etc.), keyboards, and various wind instruments.

Charlie has toured in Europe and Japan regularly since 1989 and has released albums in France, Denmark, Germany and the Czech Republic.
In addition to “Hee Haw”, Charlie served a music director for other television shows including “The Colgate Country Showdown” and “The Arthritus Telethon”. He was in the house band for the TNN show “Music City Tonight” with Crook and Chase.

Charlie was given the “Musician” award from the Reunion Of Professional Entertainers” in 1994, elected to the German-American Country Music Hall Of Fame in 1998, The Hall Of Fame of the North American Country Music Association International in 2000, the International Musicians’ Hall Of Fame and the Old Time Country Music Hall of fame in 2007, and the West Virginia Music Hall Of fame in 2008.

On Feb. 4, 2009, it was announced that Charlie would be inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame along with Roy Clark and Barbara Mandrell.

If you need a harp on your record, Charlie is “Still Harpin’”

 

The Charlie McCoy Discography

Title	Date	Record #
The World of Charlie McCoy	May 1967	SLP 18097
The Real McCoy (1968 version)	June 1968	SLP 18121
The Real McCoy	February 1971	Z 31329
Charlie McCoy	September 1972	KZ 31910
Good Time Charlie	March 1973	KZ 32215
The Fastest Harp in the South	October 1973	KZ 32749
The Nashville Hit Man	August 1974	KZ 32922
Charlie McCoy Christmas	1974	KZ 33176
Charlie My Boy	March 1975	KZ 33384
Harpin' The Blues	November 1975	KZ 33802
Play It Again Charlie	September 1976	MC 6630
Country Cookin'	July 1977	MC 7612
Greatest Hits	January 1978	MC 7622
Appalachian Fever	November 1979	MC 7632
One For the Road	February 1986	FH 0001
Charlie McCoy's 13th	September 1988	SOR 0038
Beam Me Up Charlie	May 1989	SOR 0048
Harmonica Jones*	August 1987	WWM050987
Another Side of Charlie McCoy*	March 1988	WWM040987
Candlelight, Wine and Charlie*	April 1989	WWM180189
International Incident*	July 1990	196242-244
Out On A Limb	September 1991	SOR 0067
Live in Paris*	January 1993	PSB850
International Airport*	January 1993	00155
Choo Choo Ch'Boogie*	September 1994	POCD006
American Roots*	May 1995	KOK2101
Precious Memories	July 1998	RR 57192
Le Legende Country*	September 1998	VER4913052
Classic Country	April 2003	GHD5338
Czech Mates, Live in Brno*	June 2004	986 625-9
Bouchon, Live in France*	July 2004	CMC0405
A Celtic Bridge*	May 2006	VT0193
Charlie's Christmas Angels*	November 2007	HP200717
Over the Rainbow	December 2008	DDCD0417

 

Visit Charlie McCoy's website for more information.